HOUSE BILL 66

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024

INTRODUCED BY

Andrea Reeb

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO CHILDREN; AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE CANNABIS REGULATION ACT TO INCLUDE CANNABIS USE, POSSESSION AND PRODUCTION BY A MINOR AS A DELINQUENT ACT; AMENDING THE DEFINITION OF "DELINQUENT ACT" IN THE DELINQUENCY ACT TO INCLUDE CANNABIS USE, POSSESSION AND PRODUCTION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 26-2C-27 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2021 (1st S.S.), Chapter 4, Section 27) is amended to read:

     "26-2C-27. PERSONAL PRODUCTION OF CANNABIS--PENALTIES.--

          A. Unless otherwise provided in the Cannabis Regulation Act, it is unlawful for a person without a license to intentionally produce cannabis products except as provided in this section.

          B. A person twenty-one years of age or older who intentionally produces:

                (1) more than six and up to twelve mature or immature cannabis plants shall be issued a penalty assessment pursuant to Section 31-19A-1 NMSA 1978 and is subject to a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00); and

                (2) more than twelve mature or immature cannabis plants is guilty of a fourth degree felony and may be sentenced as provided in Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.

          C. A person who is eighteen years of age or older but less than twenty-one years of age who intentionally produces:

                (1) up to six mature or immature cannabis plants shall be issued a penalty assessment pursuant to Section 31-19A-1 NMSA 1978 and is subject to a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00);

                (2) more than six mature or immature cannabis plants and up to twelve mature or immature cannabis plants is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978; and

                (3) more than twelve mature or immature cannabis plants is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.

          [D. A person who is less than eighteen years of age who intentionally produces cannabis products is guilty of a civil violation and shall be subject to:

                (1) attendance at a four-hour evidence-based drug education and legal rights program at no cost to the minor; or

                (2) four hours of community service.]"

     SECTION 2. Section 26-2C-28 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2021 (1st S.S.), Chapter 4, Section 28) is amended to read:

     "26-2C-28. UNLICENSED SALES OF CANNABIS--PENALTIES.--

          A. As used in this section, "traffic" means the:

                (1) distribution, sale, barter or giving away of cannabis products; or

                (2) possession with intent to distribute, sell, barter or give away cannabis products.

          B. Unless otherwise provided in the Cannabis Regulation Act or the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, it is unlawful for a person without a license to intentionally traffic cannabis products.

          C. In addition to the penalties provided in the Delinquency Act, a person under eighteen years of age who violates Subsection B of this section shall be subject to:

                (1) attendance at a four-hour evidence-based drug education and legal rights program at no cost to the person; or

                (2) four hours of community service.

          D. Except as otherwise provided in Section [14 of the Cannabis Regulation Act] 26-2C-14 NMSA 1978, a person eighteen years of age or older who violates Subsection B of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978.

          E. A person eighteen years of age or older who violates Subsection B of this section and who conducts unlicensed cannabis product sales from a building, room or other area open to the public in a manner that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the area is a cannabis establishment licensed pursuant to the Cannabis Regulation Act is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978."

     SECTION 3. Section 26-2C-30 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2021 (1st S.S.), Chapter 4, Section 30) is amended to read:

     "26-2C-30. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS--PENALTIES.--Except as allowed in the Cannabis Regulation Act and the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act:

          A. a person [under] who is eighteen years of age or older but less than twenty-one years of age shall not possess cannabis products. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a civil violation and shall be subject to:

                (1) attendance at a four-hour evidence-based drug education and legal rights program at no cost to the person; or

                (2) four hours of community service; and

          B. a person twenty-one years of age or older shall not possess more than two ounces of cannabis, sixteen grams of cannabis extract and eight hundred milligrams of edible cannabis in public. A person who violates this subsection with respect to:

                (1) more than two but not more than eight ounces of cannabis, more than sixteen grams of cannabis extract and more than eight hundred milligrams of edible cannabis is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978; or

                (2) more than eight ounces of cannabis, sixty-four grams of cannabis extract or three thousand two hundred milligrams of edible cannabis is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978."

     SECTION 4. Section 32A-2-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, Chapter 77, Section 32, as amended) is amended to read:

     "32A-2-3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Delinquency Act:

          A. "cannabis" means all parts of the plant genus Cannabis containing a delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of more than three-tenths percent on a dry weight basis, whether growing or not; the seeds of the plant; the resin extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the plant, its seeds or its resin;

          B. "cannabis extract":

                (1) means a product obtained by separating resins, tetrahydrocannabinols or other substances from cannabis by extraction methods approved by the cannabis control division of the regulation and licensing department; and

                (2) does not include the weight of any other ingredient combined with cannabis extract to prepare topical or oral administrations, food, drink or another product;

          C. "cannabis product" means a product that is or that contains cannabis or cannabis extract, including edible or topical products that may also contain other ingredients;

          [A.] D. "delinquent act" means an act committed by a child that would be designated as a crime under the law if committed by an adult, not including a violation of Section 30-9-2 NMSA 1978, including the following offenses:

                (1) any of the following offenses pursuant to municipal traffic codes or the Motor Vehicle Code:

                     (a) driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs;

                     (b) failure to stop in the event of an accident causing death, personal injury or damage to property;

                     (c) unlawful taking of a vehicle or motor vehicle;

                     (d) receiving or transferring of a stolen vehicle or motor vehicle;

                     (e) homicide by vehicle;

                     (f) injuring or tampering with a vehicle;

                     (g) altering or changing of an engine number or other vehicle identification numbers;

                     (h) altering or forging of a driver's license or permit or any making of a fictitious license or permit;

                     (i) reckless driving;

                     (j) driving with a suspended or revoked license; or

                     (k) an offense punishable as a felony;

                (2) buying, attempting to buy, receiving, possessing or being served any alcoholic liquor or being present in a licensed liquor establishment, other than a restaurant or a licensed retail liquor establishment, except in the presence of the child's parent, guardian, custodian or adult spouse. As used in this paragraph, "restaurant" means an establishment where meals are prepared and served primarily for on-premises consumption and that has a dining room, a kitchen and the employees necessary for preparing, cooking and serving meals. "Restaurant" does not include an establishment, as defined in regulations promulgated by the director of the special investigations unit of the department of public safety, that serves only hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and other fast foods;

                (3) a violation of Section 30-29-2 NMSA 1978, regarding the illegal use of a glue, aerosol spray product or other chemical substance;

                (4) a violation of the Controlled Substances Act;

                (5) escape from the custody of a law enforcement officer or a juvenile probation or parole officer or from any placement made by the department by a child who has been adjudicated a delinquent child;

                (6) a violation of Section 30-15-1.1 NMSA 1978 regarding unauthorized graffiti on personal or real property; [or]

                (7) a violation of an order of protection issued pursuant to the provisions of the Family Violence Protection Act; or

                (8) buying, attempting to buy, receiving, possessing or being served any cannabis product, or producing cannabis or being present in a licensed retail cannabis establishment, except in the presence of the child's parent, guardian, custodian or adult spouse. A "licensed retail cannabis establishment" means a location at which cannabis products are sold to qualified patients, primary caregivers and reciprocal participants and directly to consumers;

          [B.] E. "delinquent child" means a child who has committed a delinquent act;

          [C.] F. "delinquent offender" means a delinquent child who is subject to juvenile sanctions only and who is not a youthful offender or a serious youthful offender;

          [D.] G. "detention facility" means a place where a child may be detained under the Children's Code pending court hearing and does not include a facility for the care and rehabilitation of an adjudicated delinquent child;

          [E.] H. "felony" means an act that would be a felony if committed by an adult;

          [F.] I. "misdemeanor" means an act that would be a misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor if committed by an adult;

          [G.] J. "restitution" means financial reimbursement by the child to the victim or community service imposed by the court and is limited to easily ascertainable damages for injury to or loss of property, actual expenses incurred for medical, psychiatric and psychological treatment for injury to a person and lost wages resulting from physical injury, which are a direct and proximate result of a delinquent act. "Restitution" does not include reimbursement for damages for mental anguish, pain and suffering or other intangible losses. As used in this subsection, "victim" means a person who is injured or suffers damage of any kind by an act that is the subject of a complaint or referral to law enforcement officers or juvenile probation authorities. Nothing contained in this definition limits or replaces the provi